A Reddit user who describes himself as a 23-year-old Microsoft software development engineer in Hyderabad says he is weighing an exit offer of 1.1 million rupees, an amount not specified in Microsoft’s public program announcement.
In a Reddit post published Monday, Oct. 26, he said the offer of 11 lakh rupees, or 1.1 million rupees, represented three months’ salary. Those figures come from his account; Microsoft’s announcement does not specify a common payout formula.
Eligibility depends on both seniority and team: the program covers employees at level 70 or below whose teams are included. It applies to participating groups in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. Microsoft says organizations decide whether to take part based on business priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs. The offer is voluntary and time-limited, and includes financial support and career-planning resources. Eligible employees will receive an email linking to their individual offer details.
Bloomberg reported that a Microsoft spokesperson put the potential eligible group at about 60,000 employees. Microsoft’s public announcement did not include that estimate. Its latest Form 10-K reports 223,000 full-time employees as of June 30, 2026, making the reported pool about 27% of that headcount. The figure describes potential eligibility, not confirmed departures.
Comments on the Hyderabad post reflected different views. One commenter advised against taking the offer, citing concerns about the job market; another, who identified as a former Microsoft employee, said they would accept and look for another job. Those comments represent individual opinions.
Microsoft said the new offer builds on lessons from its Voluntary Retirement Program earlier in 2026. Reuters separately linked the move to cost containment and AI investment; Microsoft’s public explanation did not cite AI spending as a reason for the offer. The announcement gives no public acceptance deadline or departure date, and says eligible employees will receive a link to their individual terms by email.
